The silence still hangs heavy in the early morning when María Elena Parada Garnica begins her routine. There is no applause, no spotlight, just the rustle of her uniform, freshly brewed coffee, and the certainty that today, like yesterday, like tomorrow, she has a path awaiting her.
While the world is just waking up, she’s already one step ahead, fine-tuning the mirror, checking the tires, and adjusting her dreams.
She’s an operator for Autotransportes Pilot , and although many are still surprised to see a woman driving a tractor-trailer, she has no doubt that’s her place.
He didn’t end up here by chance. He liked heavy work; it was in his blood. His brother is also a construction worker. But when he couldn’t teach him anything, he decided to find his own way.
That’s how she found Scania ‘s call to train female operators. “Here I am,” she said, thinking when she arrived at the training. Of 250 applicants , only 11 graduated, including her.
Since then, he hasn’t let go of the wheel. His base is in Guadalajara, Jalisco, but he loads up in Guanajuato and travels the roads with the experience of someone who transports not only goods, but also history.
Hers is made of effort, of nights away from home, of four children who wait for her and admire her, although they also worry.
María Elena isn’t alone. Step by step, more women are beginning to take the wheel in a sector historically dominated by men. From November 2023 to May 2025, the number of federally licensed women reached 7,126 , according to data from the National Association of Bus, Truck, and Tractor-Trailer Producers (ANPACT) .
Of these, 31% joined the cargo segment and 38% joined the passenger segment , reflecting a slow but sustained transformation in Mexican transportation routes. Every story like María Elena’s adds strength to this movement.
She knows it, and so does her family. Her children are proud, but they still worry. “They want me to take care of myself,” she told T21, with a smile that reveals what she doesn’t say: that fear often travels with her, due to the insecurity that plagues the sector every day.
But he doesn’t stop. He knows the road can be hostile , so he tries not to stay in just any place. He prefers safe pensions, spaces authorized by the company. He respects the road, not fears it. And although he recognizes that this is a risky profession, he also knows that it has given him something he didn’t have before: stability.
“I used to work in a factory and couldn’t make ends meet. Today I can give my children what they need,” she said firmly.
She doesn’t feel like a hero, but she is. She is every time she enters a bus stop and someone stares at her. She is when she explains that yes, women can do it too.
“Anything is possible with courage,” she asserted, also acknowledging that her husband’s support is key.
She doesn’t romanticize her job. She says with complete honesty that the salary was also part of her motivation . “You earn well,” she repeated without guilt, and she said it with the same pride with which she speaks of being able to support her household with her own efforts, because for her, being an operator isn’t just about operating a truck; it goes far beyond that; it’s a profession of heroic complexity.
It’s knowing how to read the road as if it were a living map, calculating weights, controlling inertia, anticipating maneuvers, and reacting precisely to the unexpected. It requires concentration, skill, and a composure that isn’t taught in manuals.
It involves knowing the mechanics, respecting rest periods , understanding the logistics, and even then, dealing with extreme climates, lonely roads, and, often, doubtful looks. Not everyone can do it, and yet, she can.
When asked if she sees herself in another job, her answer is immediate: “No.” She wouldn’t change this for anything. Because in this booth, she explained, she found independence , because every kilometer traveled is a test passed, and because, although there are still a lack of decent restrooms, safe bus stops, and more respect, as she described, nothing stops her, and she’s paving the way for those who come after her.
And he will continue to do so. With firm hands on the wheel, his eyes straight ahead, and with that courage that can’t be learned, he makes decisions.
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